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Chapter 1: What does it mean to create your own reality?
To become something more is not to react to the world, but to create a new one, yours. As my dad explained to me when I was in grade school, it's taking initiative, right? Seeing what isn't there, what's needed, then making it happen. And while the setting certainly changed, the situation is no longer about helping around the house so I could go to the concert with my friends.
Right now, as we get older, our world seems to get bigger along with us. The stakes are higher. Now it's everything I see when I open the blinds and I look out that window. It's all there. And we can have as little or as much of that as we want. But what we receive will always be directly proportional to what we're willing to endure. To how long we push forward before results arrive.
How long we can carry on with the sole company of our beliefs. It's about Bezos packaging and delivering his own books from a garage. Knowing it's not about today, it's about tomorrow. If he can just hang on, if he can just endure. It's Tony Robbins with $20 in his bank account. Knowing that has no reflection on him or what he's capable of. If he can just hang on, just keep pushing.
It's not that they had the ability to bring their dreams to life. A lot of people do. They had more. They had patience. They had the discipline to remain calm and collected. That's nerve-wracking. That can be unsettling. They have the ability to be focused, to remove all the noise around them, the doubt that stops people before that desired payout is achieved.
And one of my favorite ways to look at this concept of growth is a little anecdote about lily pads in a pond. And basically it's posed as a question, right? So the lily pads in this pond double in size every day. And by day 30, the pond is completely covered in lily pads. So then what day is it half covered? That's the question.
A lot of people, you know, instinctually, they say, oh, okay, day 30, half of 30 is 15. So on day 15, it was half covered, but that's wrong. They're doubling every day, which means the pond wasn't half covered until day 29 and only a quarter covered on day 28.
And the reason that's important is because that means on day one through 27, those lily pads were growing, they were working, they were moving, yet they occupied less than a quarter of that pond. All that work for a result that was barely visible. And then at the very end, the payout becomes exponential, and that's what success is. That's what it means to pursue anything of significance.
It's days, months, years of unrecognized work, of marching forward, covering ground when no one knows or cares or believes, except you. That visualization is your sweet spot, but like we all know, Easier said than done, right? This is an incredibly challenging thing because we get impatient and our pride starts to hurt. We become tempted to jump to something different or easier.
We don't hang on long enough to hit day 28 or 29 or 30. When things really start to evolve, It's like James Clear's metaphor in Atomic Habits, right? Where you have an ice cube sitting in a room and it's freezing and you start slowly shifting the temperature up. You don't see anything going on with the ice cube. Not until you hit that 32 degree mark.
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Chapter 2: How do patience and discipline contribute to success?
They don't know how many times you had to talk yourself out of quitting or out of rationalizing a day off. They just don't know the road you took to get there, and that's fine. In fact, that's the beauty of it all. You not only saw it first, but you brought something beautiful to life. by enduring turmoil, by navigating discomfort and chaos, you have become the maker of a new universe.
Your universe. Because you stood there because when others would have ran, turned back, you endured. What's up, guys? Eddie here. And before we jump into the next chapter, just a quick note. So as many of you know, every single video that I've ever put on this channel has been created with the intent of building momentum in your life.
If you want something physical to anchor that momentum, we've created the brand AGNS, or Always Grateful, Never Satisfied, for that exact reason. Athletic apparel that embodies the very ideas and concepts I talk about every day. Because you're watching on YouTube or Spotify, we've created a code for this exclusive community, YWW20. You can use that on the website, agns.lifestyle.
We're right under this video on YouTube. All this stuff is there in the shop. Again, code YWW20 gets you 20% off the entire store. It's a great way to support the channel and also elevate your journey. Let it be a reminder to keep showing. Appreciate your time. Always grateful, never satisfied. On to the next. You belong here.
This was something that was said to the class during yoga the other day. As I've said before, yoga is something I'm really turning to as both a mental and physical approach to a lot of the injuries and imbalances I've been dealing with for a very long time. And part of that, you know, starting something new, was obviously not knowing what you're doing.
It's a willingness to play the fool, to be this student, it's signing up to be, you know, at times the worst in the room. And so I hear the instructor say this line, you belong here, and then kind of repeat it again for emphasis. It hit me hard.
And I'll never know if this was prompted by me flailing around in the back trying to do crow pose, or she just felt like it needed to be expressed in the moment. I'm not sure, but what I do know is that it was exactly what I needed to hear. And in fact, it's what I've needed to hear throughout many stages of my life, which is why I think it hit so hard. And I want to unpack it for a second.
When I moved to Massachusetts, after spending the vast majority of my childhood in the Los Angeles area, I used to joke around with my friends back in LA. I'm like, this is so different that it feels like a culture shock, right? It seems so little of the world. Why do these guys not wear Dickies or spike their hair? Everyone has cargo shorts and New Balances. What's happening here, right?
You know, but all jokes aside, when you're a freshman in high school, that's a big deal. The difference is we're many. And it took a while, you know, but I acclimated. I made friends. I did the thing. But persistently, in the back of my head, I felt like an outsider making my home somewhere that wasn't really mine. Like I didn't really belong there. Then came college.
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Chapter 3: What is the lily pad principle and how does it relate to growth?
And the guy interviewing me is sitting on one end of a desk. I'm at the other. He's holding a physical copy of my resume and cover letter. Not saying a word, just kind of scanning them up and down. And he slowly kind of drops them on the desk and goes, So, Eddie, tell me more about... He pauses, looks back down at my cover letter, back up at me, back down at my cover letter.
Then he traces the first line of the cover letter, quoting it as his finger moves across the paper. He goes, tell me more about how, quote, your lifelong dream is to become a data analyst. And I was like, oh my God, this guy sees right through me. Eddie, what are you doing, man? Like, this ain't it, you know? And I crack myself up every time my mind goes back there.
It's the epitome of square peg, round hole. And I would consistently find myself in that position, right? But, you know, I digress. The point is, me feeling like I'm on the outside looking in has been somewhat of a theme. Even in the areas of my life where I was finding success. Like, I couldn't totally... Be there. Find the things that are important to me and commit to them fully.
And I'd be lying if I said it didn't still exist today. I've worked like a madman for 10 years to build this company and this brand, and certainly I've seen some progress. In this industry, I've gotten to surround myself with some incredible people, and every time I walk into a room with folks that I've looked up to for years,
I'm grateful, which is good, but sometimes too grateful, which is my entire point, right? At some point, you have to transform from looking up to into being one of, to give yourself permission to belong. And yes, you need to do the work. And yes, confidence is earned.
But if you don't give yourself permission to do a thing, not kind of or sort of, but to fully with all your heart and soul be that thing, I think you'll always be leaving part of yourself on the shelf. It feels like, to me, a lingering defense mechanism. You can't be great if you're not all in. And part of growth has been reflecting and asking, hey, you say you're all in, but are you?
Are you immersed? And that's what I want. I think to some extent that's what we all want, to not just do it, but be it. In a million years, I don't think my yoga teacher would expect that a word's prompted a 10-minute rant, starting with my childhood on the West Coast, but man, did that comment create a lightbulb moment for me. It set the stage for such a beautiful epiphany.
It's like you've been doing the thing for 10 years. You've grown in so many areas, but have you given yourself permission to become what you're seeking? Not kind of, but pour yourself into it. It's who you are, the environment, the people, the variables, the ups and the downs, all of it is who you are. Just imagine what that freedom would allow.
Go be the thing. More, more, more, fully. All you have to give.
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Chapter 4: Why is it important to push through the invisible phase of progress?
But that's why it warrants a little bit of discussion. It's not about knowing, it's about executing. Which are two very different things. And so, I'll start here, with the idea that everything is relative. Someone who runs five miles a day and then starts hanging out with people who all run ten miles a day is more than likely going to at least ask themselves the question, could I be running more?
Should I? That's just human nature. One's perception of normality shifts when they're around people or circumstances that stretch it. And as far as I can tell, this can be applied to anything. I remember a friend of mine, probably about five years ago now, asked me what my monthly revenue goal was.
And I remember telling him, and he paused and looked kind of puzzled and asks, you know, why only that? And I thought, only that, right? That's a big number. I was reaching there. But that encounter, I still remember, it rocked my worldview. It's like, okay, wow, I need to, you know, move some things around. I need to aim higher. It's an important convo for me.
And I think, you know, there's often a negative connotation we apply to this concept, right? Comparison being the thief of joy. There always being more to acquire. It's a tool. And when not utilized the right way or internalized the right way, it can be unhealthy. But there's also, when utilized correctly, something not only healthy but incredibly powerful and advantageous about it.
We need to be reminded that we're capable of more, otherwise our worldview can't stretch. We're able to extend far beyond the reality we find ourselves in, but that fact alone does us no good. We have to position ourselves to see, to feel, to believe the more. A good friend of mine and I started reporting to each other daily the workouts we do now twice a day.
And the funny thing is, it didn't start out twice a day. But just, you know, the nature of not wanting to be the guy who does less. You know, we've been friends for a while. We're all about helping each other be better in business and fitness and you name it.
And you can bet when I've been running around working all day and I'm tired and the little voice in my head starts whispering, well, you already got a workout in earlier. Just go really hard tomorrow instead. You'll be fine. But then my phone buzzes and it's a screenshot of his workout stats. It's like, nope, have to find time to do it. He's tired. He has a job and a family.
He wants to crack a beer or grab a burger, but he didn't. And the fact that he reached for more makes me realize, hey, so can I. Makes me ask, what are my targets? Are they big enough? And that's been incredibly effective. prompting this conversation, making me realize there's something to this.
How can I position myself so that I have line of sight to that precious abundance in the other areas of my life that I deem important? How can I nurture the relationships I have that serve as a reminder that there is always another level? How can I keep at the forefront of my mind that there are online creators helping millions of people a day?
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Chapter 5: How can discomfort be perceived as growth?
And how can I tangibly position myself to obtain it? How can I help those I care about obtain it? Those are some powerful questions. And will ultimately lead to some incredible growth. Here's to going even when you don't want to go. to moving forward when you're uncomfortable, to stepping up when you're fearful. Here's to courage.
I was talking to a friend of mine earlier today about understanding the difference between two things. On one hand, the fear that presents itself when we're growing, leveling up, right? Like we've all felt nerves before a big event or an important life change, things like that. Then on the other hand, the emotions that arise when we start to feel like something isn't right for us.
Similar discomfort, but not quite the same. We feel nervous or uneasy because we know we're misaligned. And where we landed in our conversation was that when you were on the edge of that metaphorical cliff, and your body's pushing back, your heart's pounding, your mind is racing, you're nervous, you're fearful,
The question worth asking is will I be disappointed in myself if I don't go through with this? Will I be letting myself down here by turning back? You have to jump into the future and imagine future you sitting at the table reflecting on this. If you see yourself as regretful, wishing you pushed through, then it's not an alignment issue, it's a matter of courage. And when you think about it,
It usually feels obvious looking back. Like I can easily recognize in hindsight the things I stopped doing because they weren't aligned with who I wanted to be. When you stop doing the wrong thing, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Like a step back to leap forward. Those decisions create a more fulfilled life. But those times I stopped because I let the moment get bigger than my end goal.
Those times I caved and decided I didn't want to pay the price solely because of the temporary discomfort. I remember those too. That's a different feeling altogether. A not so good feeling as we all know. Jim Rohn says it like this. There's a pain of discipline or a pain of regret. Choose your pain.
One of the things that makes life challenging is that we have to be open to some level of discomfort in our lives. That's just what it is to be human. Now our power is that we get to choose where we let that pain in and what it means, what it will do for us. Will it be the type of pain that grows us or the type of pain that reminds us what could have been?
And I really think most of the time we stop not because the path was wrong for us, but because we somewhere along the way forgot that most of life's best experiences and circumstances and opportunities come with a hefty price tag. They demand a lot of us.
And in those moments when the lights shine the brightest, when we feel the weight of the world coming down on us, it's easy to misdiagnose that discomfort as a stop sign. It's like, oh, I feel alone. I feel unsure. I don't have any validation. My pride hurts. My confidence is shaken. Whatever it may be. These things just, you know, even as I'm saying them out loud now seem awful.
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Chapter 6: What role does self-reflection play in personal development?
This is information I'll take with me. Little nuggets of wisdom that I've been able to collect. And so I'll finish with an important reminder. That this is not so much about efficiency as it is about awareness and a willingness to adapt. Like becoming a robot is not the goal here.
But the discipline to step outside yourself and look at how you're spending your time so that you can make it more valuable and meaningful is. We let the outside world dictate far too much and we don't even realize. We just sort of move through it. We relinquish control because we had no idea it was ours to take.
We are very often unaware of the power that we have over ourselves, our circumstances, and our lives in totality. We're unaware of just how much value we walk right by. The opportunity is not days, weeks, or months away. It lives with you now. Every breath, every step, every decision. You just have to open your eyes and invite it in. I was in Arizona last week.
Got a chance to interview Joe Polish, best-selling author and founder of the Genius Network. As I was sort of making my way around the Genius Network office with my coffee that morning, I noticed in one of the meeting rooms there were some quotes hanging on the wall. One of them was Joe's. It said, be willing to destroy anything in your life that isn't excellent. That's certainly a big statement.
I started thinking about my little corner of the universe, running through all the things that might not meet that standard of excellence in my life. And a few certainly came to mind. It was freeing to think about. But could excellence really be a standard for everything? I mean, that's a high bar. And so I wrote it down, a little reminder to bring it up later during the interview.
A few hours go by. Mics are rolling. And I asked the question, so be willing to destroy anything in your life. That is an excellent, beautiful quote, but how? And, uh, Joe smiled kind of pause for a sec says willing, right? The key word there is willing. And I'm paraphrasing. But his point was essentially, it's an acceptance of what is and a willingness to be rigorously honest with yourself.
Because look, there's not an athlete, entrepreneur, parent, or student who didn't have to at some point play broken. We all do. But to live like that? That's not a life well lived. That's learned helplessness. And that quote on the wall is about taking a stand. It's the moment you say, I want a new standard for my life. I'm going to be more assertive, more caring, more aware.
Excellence is not a requirement, per se, because human beings can't be excellent all the time. We are flawed. We are trying. We are growing. But what you can do is look around you and start moving towards that version of yourself. Start cutting away the metaphorical chains around your ankles. In his book, What's in it for Them? Joe highlights British Olympic rower, Ben Hunt Davis.
who had one standard for the men in his boat, one question that would be asked every time they were confronted with the decision. The question was, will this make the boat go faster? If no, then it's not for them. And this framework guided their journey. This contributed to their success, this clarity, this line of sight. It's an awareness we can all learn from.
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